A landmark milestone for ice cream franchise Ben & Jerry’s is being headlined by a Trans-Tasman expansion announcement. The Ben & Jerry’s tenth anniversary mark kicks off in 2020, with three new franchised scoop shops set to steer the celebrations.
It’s been a decade of sustained success for the Aussie arm of the global dessert giant. Aside from building a solid network of franchised outlets, the last 10 years have also seen Ben & Jerry’s roll out a series of values-led initiatives.
In 2015, the company completed a transition to entirely non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients by source. Additionally, the chain went on to support farmers in developing countries through a Fairtrade-certified ingredients sourcing program.
The latest spat of expansion not only signals a return to traditional growth, it also helps to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s social mission.
Ben & Jerry’s new stores
Among the three new developments is the opening of the much-anticipated Burwood Bricks outlet. Aiming to be the most sustainable shopping centre in the world and the first to achieve the ‘Living Building Challenge’, the mixed-use urban village is the perfect fit for the modern ice cream parlour.
“From the beginning of the company’s 40-year-history, Ben & Jerry’s has championed social and environmental justice,” Sean Farrell, Ben & Jerry’s national retail manager said.
“We care not only about how we produce our ice cream but also about how we can raise awareness and inspire people to take action on important environmental and social issues. We always try to make sure we are walking the talk and so we are constantly looking at our supply chain and thinking about where we can do better, starting with the changes that will have the biggest impact.”
The sustainable approach is something the chain has worked hard on this year. In the lead-up to the federal election, Ben & Jerry’s partnered with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition to ensure young voters were registered.
The latest Burwood Bricks development satisfies the environment mission of the business, however, a new outlet on Acland Street in St Kilda also sees Ben & Jerry’s weigh into Melbourne’s iconic food and dining precinct for the first time.
Bruce Lambert, business development manager, Ben & Jerry’s ANZ said the new Aussie sites would open just in time for Summer, with an additional Auckland location to complete the triple threat in early 2020.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to see three new franchised Scoop Shop’s opening in Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
“Finding the right location has been an essential element to Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop success, with our stores boasting premium, high traffic locations within key target cities.”
Ben & Jerry’s future strategy
With around 50 scoop shops already open across Australia and New Zealand, Ben & Jerry’s is set to embark on its biggest year to date in 2020.
The Ben & Jerry’s executives revealed that in addition to the new sites, interstate plans were developing quickly.
“We also have plans underway to ensure that our 2020 goals are met, with additional openings and franchise activities planned for Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide in the coming months,” Lambert said.
“We presented the 2020 strategy at our franchise conference, which was really well received and it included a strong growth plan of eight plus new stores next year,” Farrell said.
“And of course, if we grow the business, we also want to grow our impact. We will continue to work towards climate justice with our NGO partners – this includes both looking at how we can improve the sustainability of our own business but also how we can, with our fans, ensure strong climate policy.”